--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every minute of his life since then has…" description: "\"Every minute of his life since then has been marked by her absence, every action has lacked dimension because she is not there to measure against. And ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/audrey-niffenegger-1298_absence_every-minute-of-his-life-since-then-has_862172.jpg" --- # Every minute of his life since then has been marked by her… ![“Every minute of his life since then has been marked by her absence, every action has lacked dimension because she is not there to measure against. And when I was young I didn't understand, but now, I know, how absence can be present, like a damaged nerve, like a dark bird.” quote by Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/audrey-niffenegger-1298_absence_every-minute-of-his-life-since-then-has_862172.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/audrey-niffenegger-1298_absence_every-minute-of-his-life-since-then-has_862172.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/273/audrey-niffenegger-1298_absence_every-minute-of-his-life-since-then-has_862172.jpg) > “Every minute of his life since then has been marked by her absence, every action has lacked dimension because she is not there to measure against. And when I was young I didn't understand, but now, I know, how absence can be present, like a damaged nerve, like a dark bird.” [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The absence of a loved one creates a lingering presence that shapes actions and perception, like a phantom pain. **In simple terms:** Missing someone can feel like a constant, invisible influence. Key Takeaway Recognize how loss subtly guides you. Themes love loss presence absence memory Mood melancholic introspective Type literary emotional When to use this quote - bereavement counseling - creative writing - relationship reflection Key Concepts psychology grief attachment theory Questions to Reflect On - In what ways does absence affect your decisions? - Can you transform that feeling into positive motivation? A Different Perspective Absence may also inspire unhealthy fixation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Absence Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence-present-864163/) [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Dimensions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dimensions/) [Every Minute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-minute/) [Know Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-absence-807544/) [Lacked Dimension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lacked-dimension-864164/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Marked Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marked-absence-864162/) [Minutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minutes/) [Nerves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nerves/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) ## Related quotes > [“When I was young I didn't understand, but now, I know, how absence can be present, like a damaged nerve, like a dark bird.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/when-i-was-young-i-didn-t-understand-but-now-i-know-how-absence-can/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“But now, I know, how absence can be present, like a damaged nerve, like a dark bird.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/but-now-i-know-how-absence-can-be-present-like-a-damaged-nerve-like-a/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [absence can be present, like a damaged nerve, like a dark bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/absence-can-be-present-like-a-damaged-nerve-like-a-dark-bird/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“After my mom died she ate my father up completely. She would have hated it. Every minute of his life since then has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/after-my-mom-died-she-ate-my-father-up-completely-she-would-have/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [Missing someone doesn't always mean you need to have them back in your life. Sometimes you just feel there absence in present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/missing-someone-doesn-t-always-mean-you-need-to-have-them-back-in/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“His absence has only made him more present.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sturm/his-absence-has-only-made-him-more-present/) [James Sturm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sturm/) > [The heart may think it knows better: the senses know that absence blots people out. We really have no absent friends. The friend becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/the-heart-may-think-it-knows-better-the-senses-know-that-absence-2/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) > [I know that the absence of my father in my life had its cost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernice-king/i-know-that-the-absence-of-my-father-in-my-life-had-its-cost/) [Bernice King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernice-king/) > [You cannot know, and become, that which you are, in the absence of that which you are not, as I have already explained to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/you-cannot-know-and-become-that-which-you-are-in-the-absence-of-that/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [The heart may think it knows better: the senses know that absence blots people out. We really have no absent friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/the-heart-may-think-it-knows-better-the-senses-know-that-absence/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) > [I don't know the meaning of being fair, but I know how its absence hurts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/i-don-t-know-the-meaning-of-being-fair-but-i-know-how-its-absence/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [Somebody's going to hear a song that will key in a nerve or something in their experience that represents their own vision. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-morrison/somebody-s-going-to-hear-a-song-that-will-key-in-a-nerve-or-something/) [Van Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-morrison/) > [Words are substance strange. Speak one and the air ripples into another's ears. Write one and the eye laps it up. But the sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-beachy-quick/words-are-substance-strange-speak-one-and-the-air-ripples-into/) [Dan Beachy-Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-beachy-quick/) > [The Germans are the most philosophic people in the world, and the greatest smokers: now I trace their philosophy to their smoking. Smoking has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-henry-borrow/the-germans-are-the-most-philosophic-people-in-the-world-and-the/) [George Henry Borrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-henry-borrow/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) ## More by Audrey Niffenegger > [But you know: you know that if I could have stayed, if I could have gone on, that I would have clutched every second:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/but-you-know-you-know-that-if-i-could-have-stayed-if-i-could-have/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [I look at him, look at the book, remember, this book, this moment, the first book I ever loved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/i-look-at-him-look-at-the-book-remember-this-book-this-moment-the/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“When I was young I didn't understand, but now, I know, how absence can be present, like a damaged nerve, like a dark bird.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/when-i-was-young-i-didn-t-understand-but-now-i-know-how-absence-can/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [Everything seems simple until you think about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/everything-seems-simple-until-you-think-about-it/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [I place my hands over her ears and tip her head back, and kiss her, and try to put my heart into hers, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/i-place-my-hands-over-her-ears-and-tip-her-head-back-and-kiss-her-and/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“Sister Carmelita says animals don't have souls" "Of course animals have souls, where did she get that idea?" "She said the Pope says." "The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/sister-carmelita-says-animals-don-t-have-souls-of-course-animals-have/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [We didn't think the library was funny looking in it's faux- Greek splendor, nor did we find the cuisine limited or bland, or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/we-didn-t-think-the-library-was-funny-looking-in-it-s-faux-greek/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [He said something interesting: he said that he thinks there is only free will when you are in time, in the present. He says…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/he-said-something-interesting-he-said-that-he-thinks-there-is-only/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“Dead is the most alone you can be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/dead-is-the-most-alone-you-can-be/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [What are you doing?" Nothing. Breaking and entering. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/what-are-you-doing-nothing-breaking-and-entering-pay-no-attention-to/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [I won't ever leave you, even though you're always leaving me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/i-won-t-ever-leave-you-even-though-you-re-always-leaving-me/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“It seems like we're going to collide, and we laugh, and laugh, and nothing can ever be sad, no one can be lost, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/it-seems-like-we-re-going-to-collide-and-we-laugh-and-laugh-and/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“We were royally miserable together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/we-were-royally-miserable-together/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“No.” Valentina closed her eyes. Of course not. “It’ll be great, Mouse. We’ll have our own apartment, we won’t have to work,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/no-valentina-closed-her-eyes-of-course-not-it-ll-be-great-mouse-we-ll/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) > [“I make books because I love them as objects; because I want to put the pictures and the words together, because I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-niffenegger/i-make-books-because-i-love-them-as-objects-because-i-want-to-put-the/) [Audrey Niffenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) [Explore all 250 Audrey Niffenegger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-niffenegger/) ## More Absence quotes > [Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/distance-sometimes-endears-friendship-and-absence-sweeteneth-it/) [James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/) > [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-dusenberry/the-work-the-work-the-work-this-is-what-the-business-is-all-about/) [Phil Dusenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-dusenberry/) > [Total depravity means the entire absence of holiness, not the highest intensity of sin. A totally depraved man is not as bad as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/total-depravity-means-the-entire-absence-of-holiness-not-the-highest/) [William Greenough Thayer Shedd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/) > [Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/) [Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/) > [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/) [Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/) > [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [The absence of God in most spheres of life is perceived to be normal, and even Christians feel it as normal - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-absence-of-god-in-most-spheres-of-life-is-perceived-to-be-normal/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/every-person-needs-to-take-one-day-away-a-day-in-which-one/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“I was thinking how most people don't make you feel much of anything at all. Don't make you feel like time spent with them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-lotter/i-was-thinking-how-most-people-don-t-make-you-feel-much-of-anything/) [Jane Lotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-lotter/) > [Cooperation isn't the absence of conflict but a means of managing conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/cooperation-isn-t-the-absence-of-conflict-but-a-means-of-managing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [Many are observing Ferguson and witnessing the anger, demonstrations, looting and vandalism and calling for quiet. But quiet isn't enough. 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Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/) [Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every minute of his life since then has been marked by her absence, every action has lacked dimension because she is not there to measure against. 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